The Conflicting States of Our Union

After briefly holding her invitation to President Donald Trump to deliver his State of the Union address while the federal government was shut down, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi allowed him to deliver his address in front of Congress this week. In this episode, Daniella and Ed discuss President Trump’s 82-minute speech with two in-house experts. First, Kelly Magsamen, vice president for National Security and International Policy at the Center for American Progress, explains how the president’s vision for U.S.foreign policy didn’t offer us much of anything new, but did reinforce his tendency to act as an autocrat. Then, Juanita Tolliver, director of campaigns for CAP Action Fund, breaks down the lies that littered Trump’s address; the imagery of some congresswomen wearing white; and how Stacey Abrams, the former Democratic candidate for the governorship of Georgia, delivered a striking response outlining the real challenges that ordinary Americans are facing.

Daniella Gibbs Legér is the senior vice president for Communications and Strategy at the Center for American Progress. Ed Chung is the vice president for Criminal Justice Reform at the Center. Rachel Rosen is the senior director of Broadcast Communications at the Center. Kyle Epstein is the media relations manager at the Center. Chris Ford is the broadcast coordinator at the Center.